Fuel Sender

[JBMark33]

Mine has failed on a full tank. (I have driven 200 miles and it's pegged full)

I just checked RockAuto, do they not carry the fuel sender?

[Mechanical Mike]

I found one at napaonline.com ($139) but not RockAuto.

[Archon]

Or, you can consider the fix that Hans posted.
http://www.pontiacbonnevilleclub.com/fo ... f=18&t=456

[JBMark33]

Awesome I found it on gmpartsdirect.com for $33 with shipping, but is says they only take discover and visa, why not my discover card?

Is there another site that sells it?

[Archon]

Check http://www.buy-oem-parts.com/ They have it listed, but I'm not sure on their payments policies.

[JBMark33]

I received the part # 15824379, I had a friend order it.

Should I replace everything that's in the kit?

I know I really only need the Gray slider with two metal "fingers."

Other than what Hans has written up, are there any more hints, tips, or suggestions?

[JBMark33]

Here's what comes with the kit.

Should I only replace the gray slider piece, or everything given?

I am leaning towards everything given.

Whole package.

[JBMark33]

BIG PROBLEM. I connected everything up and started the car. It ran fine, but now my gauge says empty, not registering at all. I know the float was a little more than half way up, so there seems to be an issue with the wiring. In the directions the package gave me, they said to cut the old harness off and crimp in the new one. Well, I did that and I think I might have two of the wires backwards (C & D), since the colors from the car and the colors on the new sensor are completely different colors??

A couple pictures... it was pretty rusty up top.

[Archon]

When the colors don't match up, you have to work with where the wires lead. This is the schematic for the fuel sender.

[The extension gif has been deactivated and can no longer be displayed.]

[JBMark33]

Is there any chance you could post the same diagram for the fuel pump too?

both wires for the sender and the other two wires from the pump are both run through where I have to splice them together.

[Archon]

This is what I have, but it's for the L67 with the two speed fuel pump, so yours may be different. If no one else posts it, I'll check the FSM later to see what it shows.

[harofreak00]

[JBMark33]

Thanks guys, I got the wires figured out, but apparently the whole new kit was not supposed to be installed, only the gray wiper with metal fingers.

The wires are:

On car wire harness New Harness
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^^^^
A - Purple/White (sender) = Orange - A
B - Gray (pump) = Gray - B
C - Black (pump) = Purple - C
D - Black/White (sender) = Black - D

[Hans]

yes follow the directions in my thread and you should be set...I'm redoing it with more detail and better pictures hopefully soon since my sender in my current SSEi has the same problem..it bounces around like crazy..ordering the part today as a matter of fact...

[JBMark33]

So, is it an issue that the purple wires came off the white circuit board?

They popped off a little too easily when I was dissassembling the sender unit.

Can these be soldered back on?

I plan to solder those back to the circuit board and reconnect the 4 wires I had trouble translating above.

Issue 1: Solder purple wires back on

Issue 2: Solder the 4 wires back together.

And hopefully the prongs on my new gray slider piece won't get bent when I snap the new slider onto the old board IF and ONLY IF i can resolve both Issues above.

- It is beyond me why GM would make muiltiple boards the same size with different resistances.

If I can't get this to work, I might check out the junk yard to see if they have any good sending units. I got my instrument cluster off a 2003 bonneville SE/SLE with only 1,800 miles on it so I might be able to find a near-new sender if it hasn't deteriorated outside, or maybe even hopefully they have it inside. I don't know, if they want a lot for it at that point, I will probably just order the whole sender unit from RockAuto.

I Am starting to think of alternate startegies because I don't think the soldering job will work. Who knows.

[*B2*]

I just did this exact same thing. The more gas I put in my car the lower it reads. So can I switch a few wires and fix it or do I have to swap the wiper with the contacts. I thought I was doing it the right way by changing the wiring.

[Archon]

The varying resistance may be opposite on the the other sender...for example, it may go down, while ours goes up, or the other way around. Just switching wires will not change that.

[*B2*]

I did the job again but used the old guts with the new contact arm like Hans suggested. The plug is being re-wired back to the original configuration right now so I should be able to test it soon. BTW, I tried switching the purple and orange wires last night and Archon is right, it didn't fix anything.

[JBMark33]

Okay, yeah I won't mess with switching up the wires at all.

I have to get a new sender to get the wires from my local junk yard since I can't solder the wires back to the board.

Hopefully it's off the Bonneville with only 1,800 miles on it.

Not sure if I get the fuel pump too.

[JBMark33]

I got it all fixed, here is the only pic I took.